Saturday, August 7, 2010 12:00 am
SAN FRANCISCO - A meat processor recalled about 1 million pounds of ground beef products Friday after seven people were sickened by E. coli contamination.
Valley Meat Co., of Modesto, Calif., sold the potentially contaminated beef patties and ground beef in California, Texas, Oregon, Arizona and internationally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
The beef was processed from Oct. 2, 2009, to Jan. 12, 2010. Most of the products were sold frozen. The company was working with the USDA to identify stores where the products were sold and remove the items from shelves.
The USDA would likely have a list of retailers available in three to 10 working days, department spokesman Neil Gaffney said.
"This is the first recall in our history and we will investigate the matter thoroughly and take any measures deemed necessary to further elevate our safety standards, protect consumers, and ensure confidence in our products," Valley Meat said in a statement.
All of the recalled products have the establishment number "EST. 8268" inside the label's USDA mark of inspection. Valley Meat said consumers should discard possibly affected meat or return it to stores for a refund.
The affected 2009 products will carry a number between 275 and 365 before the "09" ending. The affected 2010 products will carry a number between 001 and 012 before the "10" ending.
Consumers with additional questions should call 1-866-221-6474
The California Department of Health notified the USDA in mid-July of a cluster of E. coli-related illnesses, leading to the recall.
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